ARTNotes for May 6

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Calendar of events

May 10-12: KCAI’s end-of-semester student exhibition and sale will showcase contemporary artwork and feature two- and three-dimensional work by students in the KCAI departments of ceramics, digital filmmaking, fiber, graphic design, illustration, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture. The event begins with an open house from 5 to 7 p.m. May 10 and a 7 p.m. show hosted by digital filmmaking students in Epperson Auditorium.The exhibition and sale continue from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 11 and noon to 5 p.m. May 12. Student pieces will be displayed in studio departments located throughout KCAI’s campus. For a map of KCAI, visit www.kcai.edu/campus. For more information, call 816-802-3423.

Through May 17: The “2013 Annual B.F.A. Exhibition” is showing at the H&R Block Artspace at KCAI, 16 E. 43rd St. The exhibition includes artwork by candidates for the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at KCAI. Most KCAI departments are featured including animation, art history, ceramics, creative writing, digital filmmaking, fiber, graphic design, illustration, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture. A closing reception will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. May 17. For more information, call 816-561-5563 or visit www.kcai.edu/artspace.

May 17: The ninth annual KCAI animation “Frame by Frame” festival starts at 6 p.m. in Atkins Auditorium at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. The two-hour event, featuring 23 films by senior animation students, is free and open to the public.

May 17: KCAI seniors who are either majoring in art history or pursuing a double major in a studio program and creative writing or art history will read selections from the 2013 Compendium from noon to 1 p.m. at the H&R Block Artspace, 16 E. 43rd St.

June 1: The 2013 Art and Design Auction will be held on the KCAI campus, 4415 Warwick Blvd., from 6 to 11:30 p.m. The tenth biennial KCAI Art and Design Auction will feature live and silent auctions, student art demonstrations, an open bar and a gourmet dinner. Art showcased in the auction will include work by internationally renowned alumni and faculty. Proceeds benefit KCAI’s student scholarship fund. To purchase tickets, visit www.kcai.edu/artanddesignauction. For more information, contact Brigette Chirpich, special events director, at bchirpich@kcai.edu or 816-802-3463.

Student sculpture to shine at June 1 Art and Design Auction

An 8-foot-by-8-foot-by-variable-height sculpture by Hannah Lodwick (senior, painting and art history) will be a focal point of the June 1 Art and Design Auction at KCAI. The work, fabricated by the A. Zahner Company, will be offered for sale during the live auction and is the only student work in the auction. All other artwork is by faculty or alumni of the college. Proceeds from the auction support KCAI’s scholarship fund.

Last week Lodwick was at Zahner examining the pieces that will be fitted together to make the finished work, entitled “Factum Through Topography.” A 3-inch base of structural aluminum will hold “fins” made of the same material overlaid with blue-black mirror-polish #8 stainless steel. The fins range in height up to about 20 inches. The piece will be assembled at Zahner and then transported to the KCAI campus, where it will be installed near the “diving board” a few days before the auction. Whoever buys the piece will have the choice of displaying it flat on a floor or raised surface or installing it to hang vertically on a wall. Pictured: Hannah Lodwick, wearing safety goggles, with full-size pieces and a scale model of “Factum Through Topography” at A. Zahner Company.

Nominations open for Art Teacher of the Year Award

Creative Outlook magazine has announced its inaugural Art Teacher of the Year Award. Students are invited to submit short blog entries explaining how their favorite art teacher has motivated, inspired and encouraged them to new artistic heights at www.creative-outlook.com/art-teacher-of-the-year. The art teacher featured in the top entry will receive a $250 professional art scholarship that can be used by the teacher for educational purposes, and the winning teacher will be profiled in the 2013 issue of Creative Outlook. Nominations will be accepted through Sept. 2. Contact: 800-274-8867 or creative@mymajors.com.

KCAI donates more than $1,000 to ArtsKC Fund

The annual campaign to raise funds for Kansas City’s ArtsKC Fund will receive $1,030 from KCAI’s faculty, staff and students. This is the third year KCAI has participated in the campaign, which provides funds to Kansas City’s arts organizations and individual artists.

“I would like to thank everyone who participated in the campaign this year,” said Randy Williams, director of foundation and corporate development, who led the campaign committee. Other members included Erin Jones, administrative assistant, student life; Lauren Park, grant writer and research coordinator; Madeline Gallucci, campus activities coordinator; M.J. Poehler, Jannes Library director; and Amy Gross, special events coordinator.

The ArtsKC Fund is a community-wide initiative that provides funding for arts organization and individual artists. For the past six years, the Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City has raised money for the arts through workplace giving campaigns.

KCAI is a recipient of the ArtsKC Fund Ovation category, which provides an average of $5,000 annually to the college’s annual fund. Additionally, alumni and faculty members have received grants through the Inspiration Grant category. Over the past six years, 51 percent of the Inspiration grants presented have been to KCAI alumni and faculty. Pictured: Melinda Robino, animation instructor, with her “Most Creative” prizewinning cake walk entry.

Kansas City woman’s experience on ‘Survivor’ leads to adventures in auctioneering

How did Yve Rojas, homemaker and mother of two, cope with turning the big 4-0? She embarked on an adventure, creating a minute-long audition tape for the hit reality TV show, “Survivor: Nicaragua.” Incredibly, Rojas was chosen as one of 20 to brave the conditions — and contestants — of the competitive reality series.

When the “tribe had spoken” and “Survivor” ended for Rojas in 2010, an unexpected door opened in the Kansas City woman’s life: auctioneering. On June 1, she will be the auctioneer for the live auction portion of the Kansas City Art Institute’s 2013 Art and Design Auction, a fundraiser for scholarships to the college.

Rojas broke into the world of auctioneering two years ago when she was invited to judge at a live cake exposition, benefiting a Kansas City women’s shelter. Though Rojas admits she never dreamed of becoming an auctioneer before that day, this experience was all she needed. The tenacious spirit that made her a sure-fit for “Survivor” sent her on a new endeavor­ — to the World Wide College of Auctioneering, which is based in Mason City, Iowa.

Auctioneering has allowed Rojas to follow her passion for charity work and appreciation of art. On June 1, she will combine these interests at the KCAI auction.

"We are excited for Yve to help us auction the incredible art of the KCAI faculty and staff,” said Mary Wetzel, auction co-chair. “Her fun, unique style and vivacious energy are sure to help us raise much-needed funds for Kansas City Art Institute student scholarships. The event is shaping up to be a memorable night!"

KCAI auction festivities begin at 6 p.m., and the live auction, where Rojas will take center stage, runs from 9:05 p.m. to 10:05 p.m. Auction proceeds benefit the school’s scholarship fund.

“I’m excited and proud to be a part of the Kansas City Art Institute auction,” Rojas said. “It’s great to be put in the position of helping celebrate these students and artists who have such talent.” Pictured: Yve Rojas.

MRIGlobal underwrites PCAL scholarships for two Paseo Academy students

Two students attending Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts in Kansas City have received full scholarships from MRIGlobal to attend KCAI’s Pre-College ArtLab program this summer. The students, who are completing their sophomore year at Paseo are Felix Maull and Tiana Scruggs. Both are students of Pamela Sahl, visual art chair at Paseo Academy. After completing the ArtLab program, the students will have earned three hours of college credit.

“With these scholarships, both Felix and Tiana will have the opportunity to live, eat and breathe art for three intense weeks,” Sahl said. “It’s a wonderful experience for young artists in a college art residency program.”

In the last four years, MRIGlobal has provided scholarships for seven Paseo Academy students to attend PCAL. Students are selected on the basis of artistic and scholastic accomplishment. MRIGlobal’s Paseo Partnership is made possible through the Charles N. Kimball Fund, which was established in honor of its president from 1950 to 1975. The partnership includes sponsorship and coaching of the school’s robotics program, an after-school tutoring program, the KCAI scholarships and a newly launched literacy program.

KCAI viewbook wins KC Quill Award

Published late last summer, the KCAI viewbook was recognized May 2 with a Kansas City Quill Award in ceremonies hosted by the Kansas City Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. The viewbook received a first-place award in the publications category. Anne Canfield, vice president for communications, accepted the award on behalf of KCAI. She directed the publication process and wrote the text. Also recognized were Jeff Miller, who designed the viewbook, and Tal Wilson (’81 photography), who took nearly all of the photographs published in the 136-page book. The viewbook is the college’s primary printed recruitment publication and is distributed to high-school students nationwide who are interested in learning more about the college. To view the book online, visit www.kcai.edu/sites/default/files/pdf/kcai%20viewbook%202012.pdf. Pictured: KCAI’s viewbook.

KCAI Print Center ready to help with digital output

KCAI faculty, students and staff have access to a digital Print Center located in Room 103 of the Irving Building. According to Aaron Blumenhein, director of the center, the facility has been “a highly successful student printing service, ultimately intended to centralize all printing applications on campus.” The center is open from 1 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday. Blumenhein encourages students to make use of the center for end-of-semester projects and faculty and staff to use the center for any digital output needs. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/KCAIPrintCenter or contact Blumenhein at ablumenhein@kcai.edu. Pictured: Coffee sleeve promoting the KCAI Print Output Center.

Student updates

Juliana Lynn (junior, painting) has been awarded the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. Lynn, who was granted the scholarship to participate in Jessie Fisher’s summer 2013 intersession Faculty Led Travel Program, “An Exquisite Corpse,” will be traveling with a group of KCAI students. They will be studying under the direction of Fisher, associate professor in painting, and the Studio Arts Center International (SACI) in Florence, Italy, for five weeks. Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship award recipients are chosen by a highly competitive selection process. The scholarship offers awards for undergraduate study abroad and was established by the International Academic Opportunity Act of 2000. This scholarship program is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and is congressionally funded.

Faculty updates

Alison Miller, instructor in art history, was selected for a Fulbright grant for the 2013-14 academic year. She will be living in Tokyo conducting archival research on her dissertation, entitled “Mother of the Nation: Femininity, Modernity and Class in the Image of Empress Teimei (1884-1951).”

Work by Ron Slowinski, who formerly taught painting at KCAI, will be on view from May 21 to June 15 at the John Molloy Gallery in New York. The title of the exhibition is “Ron Slowinski Reconsidered 1975-2011.” For more information, visit johnmolloygallery.com/. Pictured: “Genji,” Ron Slowinski, 1975, acrylic on canvas, 46 inches by 56 inches.

“Artworkers: Creativity and America,” a project by Hugh Merrill, professor of printmaking at KCAI; the George A. Spiva Center for the Arts in Joplin, Mo., and Chameleon Arts & Youth Development, a nonprofit community arts agency in Kansas City, opens May 16 at the Spiva Center. The project, which continues through July 7, recently received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Merrill, who describes himself as “exhibiting artist, curator and ringleader for community arts actions,” will exhibit work, as will a number of other participating artists representing the visual arts, music, theater, literary arts and film. Merrill will be on site on six Saturdays to offer creativity workshops in the gallery, and anyone who visits the project will be invited to add their own creative marks to the interactive exhibit. The project is sponsored by EaglePicher Technologies, LLC, with additional financial support from the Joplin Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency. For information about the Spiva Center, visit www.spivaarts.org/.

“In the Making,” an exhibition of work by former faculty member Tracy Krumm, continues through June 22 at Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art, 2004 Baltimore Ave. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Pictured: Work by Tracy Krumm.

Miguel Rivera, associate professor and chair of printmaking, has been invited to participate in the May 15 closing session and reception at Project ACE in Buenos Aires, Argentina. “Cara Jaye (associate professor of art at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash.) and I started this project back in 2006 in Mexico,” Rivera said. “It has evolved into a much consolidated collaborative project. Crossover 2013 now includes two levels of artists: emerging and established artists from all over the world.” He also will teach a workshop May 20 about creativity and “surrounding byproducts” to “porteños” or local artists from Buenos Aires. For more information about Project ACE, visit www.proyectoace.org/calendar. Rivera also will conduct a workshop May 23-28 at Pontifica University in Lima, Peru, where he will address new means of production in printmaking at the International Printmaking Biennial.

Calls for artists

Creative Outlook magazine has announced its 2013 magazine cover contest and invites new, original, student artwork. Entrants are invited to upload up to five pieces of art to www.creative-outlook.com, along with a short description of their entries, and then are invited to share via social media for a popular vote. In September, the top 10 submissions with the most votes will be entered into a final portfolio review, where a panel of art education professionals will choose the winning submission and two runners-up. The winning submission will receive a $250 scholarship and be featured on the cover of the 2013 issue of Creative Outlook. The runners-up also will receive $250 scholarships. All three submissions and the artists who created them will be profiled in the magazine. The deadline for entries is Sept. 1. Contact: 800-274-8867 or creative@mymajors.com.

Interested in sharing your portfolio with other artists and possibly arranging to swap work with others? Foundation instructor David Overholt has created a website where you can do just that, and he is putting out the call to KCAI students, faculty and other artists to join the site and post images of up to five pieces of work. “A lot of artists wind up with a lot of work in the basement, where no one is seeing it, and it’s not doing anybody any good,” Overholt said. “Or you might have your own work all over your wall. It’s more helpful to you, as an artist, if you have examples of other people’s work on your wall, and The Art Swap provides a way of making this happen.” Overholt pointed out that the site is not a place for non-artists to buy art; rather it’s a place where artists can swap work or barter for work. For more information, visit www.theartswap.com/ or contact Overholt at doverholt@kcai.edu. Pictured: poster for The Art Swap.

“Brach’s Craft & Recipe Challenge” is a contest that gives students and crafters an opportunity to win a $1,000 scholarship by using Brach’s candy to make a recipe, craft or decoration. Entrants are asked to upload a photo of their creation, a list of the materials used to create it and to share their entry via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or several other social channels. The deadline is June 7. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/brachs/app_301719929955765?ref=ts.

Senior exhibitions

The ninth annual KCAI Animation Frame by Frame Festival begins at 6 p.m. May 17 in Atkins Auditorium at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Doug Hudson, association professor and chair of animation and digital media, said the two-and-a-half-hour festival represents an annual rite of passage for senior animation majors. “This year’s show will feature the outstanding and inspiring work of more than 25 students,” he said. “Plan to arrive 10 to 15 minutes early, as seating is limited.” The event is free and open to the public. Pictured: poster promoting the 2013 Frame by Frame Festival.

Front Space – Kendell Harbin (senior, art history and printmaking minor) is hosting a Hat Book Release event from 6 to 9 p.m. May 11 and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 12 at Front Space, 217 W. 18th St. She promises there will be books and “windows to draw upon.” Pictured: poster for Hat Book Release.

The Roost – An exhibition by Carie Musick Allman (senior, fiber) and Daniela Londono (senior, fiber), entitled “Ingress,” will be on display from 6 p.m. to midnight May 25 at The Roost, 1100 Santa Fe Road.

Arts Asylum – Lynn Thonet Gross (senior, fiber) will be showing work in “Trainwreck,” beginning at 8 p.m. May 11 at Arts Asylum, 1000 9th St.

J&G Building – “Divergent Zones,” an exhibition of work by seniors majoring in illustration, will be on view from 5 to 9 p.m. May 10; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 11; and noon to 5 p.m. May 12 in the J&G Building, 324 E. 43rd St.

Screenland Crossroads – Thesis work by Bonnie Thomas (senior, digital filmmaking) and Matthew Lloyd (senior, digital filmmaking) will premiere in a pair of double-feature showings at 7:45 p.m. and 9 p.m. May 9 at the Screenland Crossroads, 1656 Washington St. Thomas produced, directed and stars in “In Four Directions,” and Lloyd’s film is entitled “Evolve.” Pictured: Promotional poster for “In Four Directions,” a short film by Bonnie Thomas.

Ceramics seniors show their work in conjunction with the end of semester exhibition in ceramics, which occurs during the regular hours of the exhibition weekend, as with all other departments. In addition, the entire show is open throughout the following week, until graduation on May 18. Patrons are asked to pick up their purchases on May 18 and May 19 between the hours of 2 and 5 p.m.

Local KCAI-related exhibitions

Red Star Studios – “Akio Takamori: LUST” at Red Star Studios in Belger Crane Yard Studios, 2011 Tracy Ave., continues through Aug. 24. The exhibition is co-sponsored by the Belger Arts Center, KCAI and Barry Friedman Ltd. of New York and features figurative sculptures by Japanese-American artist and KCAI alumnus Akio Takamori (‘76 ceramics). The show includes work previously exhibited at Barry Friedman, along with newer work created specifically for the new Red Star Studios location in Belger Crane Yard Studios. The exhibition also includes lithographic prints that Takamori created with master printer Michael Sims, founder of the Lawrence Lithography Workshop. A work from the exhibition, “Sleeping Woman in a Red Dress,” will be included in KCAI’s 2013 Art and Design Auction, which will take place June 1 on the KCAI campus. Pictured: “Lust,” Akio Takamori, 2012, stoneware with underglaze, variable height 16 inches to 20 inches; photo by Vicki Takamori.

1522 Saint Louis – A group of artists, including Amanda Gehin (’06 painting), are participating in a new series of installations entitled “Adjacent To, Or Further More” at 1522 Saint Louis gallery, which is located at 1522 St. Louis in Kansas City’s West Bottoms district. The artists were asked to step outside of their usual methods of working. Each artist’s exhibition opens at a different date: Julian Freeman, May 25; and Gehin, June 21. The exhibition runs through June 30. Pictured: “Wallpaper Test (In Yellow),” Amanda Gehin.

Belger Arts Center – “Adornment,” continuing through June 8 at Belger Arts Center, 2100 Walnut St., includes work by Shae Bishop (’12 ceramics), Ellen Green (’98 painting) and Misty Gamble, assistant professor of foundation. More than two dozen artworks will be on display in this exhibition entirely from the Belger Collection. Evelyn Craft, executive director of the Belger Arts Center and a member of the KCAI board of trustees made the selections.

Red Star Studios at the Belger Arts Center – New work by resident artist Jessica Brandl (’06 ceramics and art history), who has been a lecturer in the KCAI ceramics program, will be on view through June 29 at Red Star Studios at the Belger Arts Center, 2100 Walnut St. The studios are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Brandl’s exhibition is the culmination of her artistic residency at Red Star Studios. A statement from Red Star said, “Brandl visually hunts for present-day evidence of Manifest Destiny by referencing history and painting rural landscapes on pottery … (she) instills the optimistic attitude of Midwest while also highlighting the challenges of living in the region. (Her) work is a nod to the ideals of the past and a commentary on the dreams of the present.” Later this month, Brandl will travel to Newcastle, Maine, where she will be the 2014 Salad Days Artist at the Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts’ residency program. Pictured: “Schooner,” Jessica Brandl, 2012, red earthenware, 18 inches by 12 inches by 2.5 inches; image courtesy of the artist.

All Souls Art Gallery –“Visual Inquiry,” original paintings by Jon Schroeder (attended) opens from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. beginning May 20 at the All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church Art Gallery, 4501 Walnut St. An artist's reception is scheduled for 7 p.m. May 24. The exhibition runs through June 21. Pictured: “Tequila Sunrise,” Jon Schroeder.

Classifieds

Photographer wanted for wedding 5 to 9 p.m. June 8 at the Simpson House, 4509 Walnut St. If interested, contact Nichole McCaughey, 720-940-5623 or mccanna1000@gmail.com.

Opportunities list

Academic Advising and Career Services publishes a weekly creative opportunities and career listing with employment, freelance, volunteer and RFQ listings for students and alumni. Download the current creative opportunities list here. Download the current career list here.